The Year After
by orangespd
Summary: Todd Anderson and Neil Perry have spent a long summer apart, suppressing feelings for each other. When Neil finds Todd at the beginning of school something seems wrong.
1. Chapter 1

Within seconds after the bell, the halls of Welton Academy were filled with students.

Chatting nervously with their new classmates, the boys generated a dull roar composed of equal parts agitation and excitement that swept across the corridors. It was the beginning of a new academic year. Among the swarm of individuals walked Todd Anderson, a quiet and obedient boy who follows in his older brother's footsteps through Welton. He pushed past the shouting masses with haste, knowing he was late for registration. Covering his thin frame with the school issued robe in preparation for the opening ceremony was his roommate, Neil Perry, a sibling-less, passionate, and outgoing son to his overbearing father.

' _Funny… I could've sworn Todd said he was supposed to check in today,'_ Neil thought as he fastened his last button. He stared at the door, considering whether or not he should start making his way to the auditorium alone. The boys had lived together the previous year, and had grown particularly fond of each other. Seeing one another for the first time since summer began was expected to be both comforting and flustering, considering their reluctant separation a few long months before.

" _Okay Neil, my father is waiting for me outside. I'll see you next year, then?" Todd rested his hand upon the doorknob anticipating his departure._

" _You bet. I can't tell you how glad I am we're rooming together again."_

" _Yeah, no kidding. I'm glad I didn't get stuck with that Charlie kid - What a lunatic."_

" _Hey," Neil paused and blinked his dark brown eyes playfully. "Don't I get a goodbye hug before you go?"_

" _Sure. Get over here," Todd said as he lazily tossed his arms out behind his shoulders. Neil stepped to where he was and slipped his arms around the shorter boy's figure._

" _I'll miss you a lot, Todd."_

" _Yeah, you too, Neil," he said, distracted. His father was in the parking lot, waiting for him._

" _No, I mean I'll_ _ **really**_ _miss you." Neil summoned Todd's attention with his sudden emphasis. "I won't be able to stop thinking about you." Neil's expression brightened under a short curtain of dark brown hair as he spoke. Speechless, Todd tried to imagine what the significance of this confession could be. Could it mean his timeworn feelings for Neil were mutual?_

" _Neil, I'll miss you too." His focus was brought to an overlooked dimple resting beside Neil's flushed lips. The boys once again held each other softly for a few deliberate breaths, until their faces began to drift closer together. Neil directed his mesmerized gaze into the blond boy's eyes, falling into something just short of a meditation. "Kiss me," whispered Todd unintentionally. He was skeptical of it's audibility, but quickly realized Neil had heard him and was more than happy to oblige. He leaned in closer. For a brief moment, Neil's mouth began to glide across Todd's, when a brisk knock at the door brought the two boys back into the palpable world around them._

" _Todd? Are you there? I've been waiting for over ten minutes now." Todd leapt back, realizing what had just happened. Neil smirked._

" _Bye, Todd."_

Neil shrugged off his surreal memory as he picked up a short stack of aged books laying on his desk and turned to leave. Just in time, the door across the room opened slowly with a creak. He stopped in his tracks and peered through the doorway to recognize the blonde boy's familiar face, sporting an unexpectedly somber expression.

"Todd!" Neil cheered with a smile. He dropped his books and bolted to his roommate's side, capturing him in an overdue embrace. As the door shut behind him, Todd fell into Neil's supportive arms with a contented sigh. He buried his face in the thin boy's neck and his lips curled into a hidden smile.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, Knox. Get over here," commanded Charlie, one of the headstrong boys who had been involved in the Dead Poets Society situation the year before. They sat in the dormitory commons, absorbed by their respective projects. Charlie was busy with a chemistry assignment while Knox paged through a novel assigned to the boys in their English class. "Say, when is this due?"

" _You're_ actually doing homework? That's one for the books," laughed Knox.

"Very funny. Answer the question," Charlie snarled.

"The chem? Not until next week. Shouldn't you be worrying more about getting those lipstick stains off of your chest?" Knox punched his shoulder and began to walk away.

"Wait," Charlie started. The other boy pivoted his heels in his direction. "Have you seen Todd lately?"

"Well yeah, he lives here... It would be weird not to -" Charlie pulled him in closer, aligning his plain of vision with his own.

"No, I mean look at him. He's sitting over there by the fireplace alone. He hasn't taken his eyes out of that book for hours," whispered Charlie.

"Yeah, so? He's a quiet guy, and he likes to read. You could probably learn a thing or two from him, come to think of it."

"Since the year started he hasn't talked to anyone but Neil. It's like he's got some sort of problem." Knox's face softened into an unconcerned look.

"Charlie, everyone's got problems. Let him be, and for god's sake, stop staring." Knox straightened out and put his arms above his head in a full body stretch. "I'm gonna go hit the hay. I'll see you Tomorrow, 'Nwanda.'" Charlie wore an unsatisfied expression as Knox left the room. He looked at the three pound textbook resting below him in disgust and slammed it shut. He sat back in his chair briefly, but grew alert when he saw Neil's head peeking around the door in search of his roommate.

"Neil! C'mere a sec, will you?" Neil peered at Charlie, saw his assignments scattered across the table and grinned, amused. He walked over and gave Charlie an expectant nod.

"What is it?" He asked.

"What's going on with Todd?" Charlie prodded.

"What do you mean?" questioned Neil hesitantly. He worried that someone had found out about their complicated relationship as "more than roommates" and was spreading the story around the school.

"He's been really quiet. I mean, quieter than normal, and he won't talk to any of us like he'll talk to you. Has he said anything about it?" Neil turned to observe Todd, who sat scribbling into a dark blue notebook. He looked back at Charlie with an unconcerned demeanor.

"I think he's just busy," Neil assured. "Some people actually get ahead on their work in the beginning of the year, Charlie." Neil walked towards his room, and took a backwards glance at Todd. ' _Crap,'_ he thought, wearing a puzzled expression.


	3. Chapter 3

Todd returned to their room later that night, book in hand.

"Hey," Neil said, looking up from his desk. Todd nodded in response and walked towards his bed. Neil removed his glasses and focused on his roommate. "Are you alright?" He asked. After a brief pause he spoke again: "The other guys, well, actually just Knox, he was talking about you. He said you seem off."

"Oh… Knox said that? I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me," Todd replied, glancing away as he spoke.

"No, come on. What is it?"

"It's nothing, seriously." Todd watched with distressed eyes as Neil pushed himself up from his chair and approached the blonde boy. Todd turned to face Neil as he eased closer. The dismay that showed in his eyes was heartbreaking.

"Is that so?" Challenged Neil in a quiet and delicate tone. With their faces inches apart, he reached his hand towards the hair covering Todd's eyes and gently brushed it back towards his ears. "Whatever it is, you can tell me about it. I'm here for you," Neil assured with a sincere smile. Todd's eyebrows softened as he searched Neil's eyes for any hint of infidelity. He listened to the hum of the radiator and tried to extinguish his doubt.

"I know you are. Neil-" Todd's words were choked short at the sound of yelling alongside running feet in the hallway. Both boys turned their heads towards the door as they drew apart. The bolted to their feet as Charlie and Knox burst through the door with a wiggling blanket in their arms.

"Get in the back! Get back there!" Charlie whispered aggressively. "I'll keep an eye out at the door." On his toes, Knox fled to the head of Todd's bed, clutching the blanket to his chest.

"Hey, what gives?" Neil whispered, annoyed. The two intruders shushed him. Just then the headmaster's voice came booming through the hallway.

"KNOX! DALTON! I'll be damned before you get away with this! Where have you gotten off to?" His words echoed through the vents in the small room.

"We had to come here," Charlie pleaded after a few minutes of silence. "You guys are never in trouble. And besides, maybe this will cheer Todd up!" Knox peeled back a corner of the blanket to reveal a black wet nose.

"We found a puppy," Knox explained sheepishly. The silence was deafening.

"You found a puppy," Neil repeated with a less than enthusiastic tone as the right side of his face tensed up. "And why exactly are you getting us involved in this?" Another brief silence was broken by Knox.

"Please Neil, we gotta keep him here. You don't want to throw him out into the cold, do you?"

"Well, I sure as hell don't want to keep him in my room!" Neil retorted, agitated. "The headmaster could walk in any minute and have us expelled! Besides, Todd's allergic."

"It's fine," Todd added quietly, unnoticed by the other three boys in the room.

"If you really think you can keep it here you've gone nuts," Neil continued. "What if-"

" _Neil!"_ Todd interrupted. Stunned by his on confrontation, he realized that all eyes were on him. "I-I.." he began. He searched for the words, desperate to avert the attention away from him. "Let's just keep it here tonight. I'm tired, okay?" Neil gazed at Todd and his tenseness melted as he remembered the moment they shared only a few moments ago. The dim lights accentuated the curve of his roommate's lips and in the moment, Neil would do anything to return to his side as he was before.

"O-okay, we'll take it. Just for tonight," Neil said softly. Charlie sensed the agitation in the room and nodded to Knox.

"Here you go. Keep him warm. And oh, you'll need this." Knox pulled out a small bag of treats, stolen from the headmaster's closet. "The dog in the hallway is getting fat. I don't think these'll be missed." The duo crept out of the room, taking care to avoid the floorboards they knew would creak under their weight.

Neil studied Todd as the charcoal-furred puppy licked the blonde boy's cheek. A smile finally began to creep across Todd's lips. "You know," Neil started with a smirk. "He kind of looks like you." The smile Todd bore a moment ago quickly faded into a frown.

"Oh, what do you know?" he retorted. Sensing genuine offense, Neil approached him once again, taking a seat next to him on the bed.

"Can I see him?" Neil asked. Todd nodded and offered the blanket to him. Neil cradled the puppy. It had been so long since he had so much as pet a dog. His parents demanded that their house remain in pristine condition, so there was no room for a furniture-destroying pet. "Yeah.. you know what, he does look like you, Todd..." Neil stated again, with a playful but gentle smile. "He's stunning. He's even got the same big blue eyes as you. Kind of iridescent and filled with life." Todd glanced up from his feet to find his roommate gazing at him with a familiar warmth.

"Neil," Todd began. "You remember the end of school last year… don't you?" Neil's fixed eyes illuminated as one corner of his lip turned upwards. He nodded, and Todd continued "It's just that, I… uh, I, we didn't see each other all summer."

"I know," said Neil. "Todd… I missed you so much." He leaned in, tilting his chin towards his chest. Their foreheads could almost touch.

"But, what I want to know is, um…" Todd trailed off. Neil pulled back again.

"What? Todd wait - are you worried that I forgot about you?" Neil snickered at the thought.

"Well, uh, yeah," Todd finished. Neil stood up then, and carried the bundled dog to the head of Todd's bed. After layering his blankets over the sleeping animal he returned to the flustered boy's side.

"Todd," Neil whispered through a radiant smile. "There's a dog in your bed, and you're allergic. I think you had better share mine with me." Anxiety and delight fluttered across Todd's face in unison, a perfect representation of what his heart felt. Unable to speak, the blonde boy swallowed, nodded, and stood up. He let Neil take his hands and allowed himself to be led to the opposite side of the room. He sat down on his roommate's bed and waited for Neil to turn the light off. The moonlight shone through the window just enough to illuminate both of their figures. When Neil returned to the bed, he sat down, giving Todd his full attention. "You," Neil whispered, once again pushing a stray lock of Todd's coarse hair back, "are irreplaceable to me." The two figures, frozen in desire and moonlight, pressed their foreheads together.

"Thank god," sighed Todd, smiling. The tension in the room was shattered as their lips pressed together in unison. Passionately, Neil pressed himself closer to Todd until he pushed him onto his back. They drew apart slowly and Neil, gazing into Todd's eyes, collapsed next to him on the bed. Todd ran his left hand tenderly through Neil's soft brown hair, euphoric. "I was afraid I'd lose you," Todd said almost inaudibly. Neil shifted slightly and smiled at him.

"As long as I'm still breathing… you'll never lose me." Todd buried his head into Neil's neck, which smelled of musk with a hint of sweetness. Neil turned his head to the side and fell asleep with his nose nestled in Todd's blonde hair.


End file.
